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2020 Community Investments Application GuidelinesPlease note, this document is for reference only. The official application can be found on our website. Only online submissions will be evaluated.

This document includes guidelines intended to assist your organization in filling out the United Way of Greenville County (UWGC) 2020 Community Investments Application.

Application Instructions 1. To ensure timely review of applications, we ask that your responses are concise.

Character limits are indicated in most fields. If your answer exceeds the character limit, the text box will flash red. If this happens, kindly adjust your answer to fit within the character limits.

2. Please do not abbreviate or use acronyms that have not been fully identified first. It will ensure ease of reading for reviewers and that nothing is lost in translation.

3. Charts or tables that illustrate your narrative, if any (i.e., optional logic model, organizational chart, or performance data), may be submitted as an attachment to your proposal under the "Optional Upload Documents" link.

4. Based on feedback from previous RFPs, we’ve provided a Word document of the RFP questions so that applicants can work offline and later copy/paste answers into the online form. We’ve provided the questions in Word form for reference only – please note that only submitted online proposals will be reviewed. Rich text formatting (bullet points, bold words, spacing) will not copy/paste well into the online form.

5. A checklist of required and optional documents to be uploaded is included in this document. We discourage you from submitting items not included on that list (i.e., marketing materials, annual reports, or letters of support) as these will not be considered in the scoring.

6. All applications are due Thursday, June 11, at 5:00 p.m.

https://www.unitedwaygc.org/apply-funding

United Way of Greenville County 2020 RFP Community Impact

Before beginning the application, we strongly recommend applicants read the Request for Proposals (RFP) to ensure eligibility for this funding opportunity. A. Organization Information

Organization Legal NameOrganization FEIN

UWGC will be funding in three Impact Areas: Financial Stability, Education, and Vibrant and Equitable Communities. Each Impact Area has strategies listed below. Organizations may apply in as many impact areas as they choose but can only select one strategy in each impact area.

Impact Areas and Strategies for this Submission (you may select as many as apply)

Financial Stabilityo Workforce Developmento Gaining and Building Assetso Safety Neto Income Supports

Educationo Safe and Nurturing Environmentso Support Networkso Early Learning and Childcareo Out of School Time Interventionso Academic Supportso Post-Secondary Skills

Vibrant and Equitable Communitieso Basic Needso Intermediary or Coalition

Please note, once you select your impact area categories above, you will not be able to change your selection through the online application. If you need to make changes to the impact area categories for this application, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

Administrative AddressStreet 1Street 2

City, StateZip Code

PhoneWebsite

Organization Primary Contact

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(Executive Director/President/CEO) Primary Proposal ContactName NameTitle TitlePhone PhoneEmail Email

Site Visit ContactIf your organization is selected to receive a site visit, we will reach out to the contacts listed above to coordinate a time and date to visit your program. If you would like a third person included in site visit scheduling communications, please list them here.

Board Chair ContactAs a grantmaking best practice we will copy your Board Chair on all funding decisions via email. We will not use your Board Chair’s contact info for any other purpose.

Name NameTitle TitlePhone PhoneEmail Email

What is your organization budget size? [pick one of the following]□ Less than $250,000□ $250,000-$999,999 □ $1,000,000-$3,000,000 □ Larger than $3,000,000

Does your organization currently receive funding from UWGC? Yes No

Is organization applying with a fiscal sponsor? Yes No

B. Organizational Questions

B1. How does your organization's mission and expertise align with the investment strategies selected? [250-word limit]

Information and Tips in Answering the QuestionPlease state your organization’s mission and briefly tell us how the work you are proposing in this application aligns with your mission.

How Will This Question Be Scored?This question will not receive a score but will be evaluated for eligibility under this RFP. Organization’s whose mission does not align with their selected strategy in this RFP will not be eligible for funding.

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B2. Were there any unusual board or staff leadership transitions in the prior 12 months that you would like to disclose? (i.e. anything beyond the typical transition due to term limits and/or board member relocation/availability such as—several board members stepped down, board restructured; key leadership transition, key positions open, etc.) y/n – if yes, explain [ 500-word limit]

How Will This Question Be Scored?This question will not receive a score but will provide us information to better understand your organization’s stability and unique leadership context.

B3. Were there any significant changes to the organization’s mission or strategic direction in the prior 12 months that you would like to disclose? (i.e. change in mission statement, newly adopted strategic plan, etc.) y/n – if yes, explain [500-word limit]

How Will This Question Be Scored?This question will not receive a score but will provide us information to better understand your organization’s strategic direction and mission.

B4. Tell us about the populations you serve and how your leadership team, staff, and board reflect those populations. To what extent does your leadership team reflect the populations you are serving? [500-word limit]

Information and Tips in Answering the QuestionWe are interested in how closely your leadership, staff, and board reflect the population(s) you serve.

Describe how your leadership team, staff, and board reflect the population(s) you serve. Your answer does NOT need to identify each individual member of your leadership team, staff, board in this answer. A preferred answer would include a summary of the total number of leadership team, staff, and board members at your organization and the number that exhibit the demographic and other qualities you identified as unique to your population.

For example, an organization may answer this question as follows:

At our organization, approximately 60% of the families we serve identify as African-American, 20% identify as Caucasian and 20% come from a range of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. In addition, as we are a housing organization working on the issue of homelessness, all of our families are or have previously experienced homelessness.

Within our leadership team of 5 people and board of directors of 8 people (total of 13 people), 4 identify as African-American, 9 identify as Caucasian and 2 of those that identify as Caucasian have previously experienced homelessness.

In the example answer above, the organization identifies the populations it predominantly serves as African-American and families experiencing homelessness. 30% of their leadership is African-American and 15% have previously experienced homelessness. For this question, 45% of their leadership reflects the populations they predominantly serve.

B5. How do you ensure your work is continuously Information and Tips in Answering the Question

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informed on an ongoing basis by those you serve? [1,000-word limit]

We are interested in understanding how your organization works with its clients and the community it serves to garner feedback and input and make decisions around organizational practices, policies, programs, etc.

Describe how your organization engages the people it serves. Your answer should provide enough detail to explain your organizational commitment to community/client-informed decision-making. Using the following questions as a guide may be helpful in answering this portion of the question. Who is included? What are they included in? When are they included? How are they included? What methods do you use to engage people (ex.;

surveys, listening sessions, etc.)

Then, provide us an example that demonstrates your organization has responded to client or community feedback, OR a decision that was made through a client or community-informed process.

B6. What coalitions, task forces, partnerships, etc. is your organization a part of? How does your organization partner to address larger community or systems wide issues? [500-word limit]

How Will This Question Be Scored?This question will not receive a score but will give us a better understanding of the field-building, policy and partnership landscape your organization is involved in. This information may help inform future field-building and advocacy activities of UWGC.

B7. We are interested in your organization’s approach to delivering holistic solutions that address the challenges faced by our communities today. Whether you are focused on a strategy or intend to work across multiple strategies within the RFP, please answer the questions below. [500 word limit]

Part A: Explain the challenges that your organization aims to address. What is the magnitude of the challenge? And, if relevant, tell us about any geographic factors that affect the challenge.

Part B: How will your organization bring holistic solutions that serve the whole person in addressing this challenge? You may upload a Theory of Change or similar document to illustrate your organization’s solution. If you do not have a Theory of Change, please address in narrative your organization’s strategies, activities, and intended outcomes.

Part C: What resources, changes (including systems and/or structural), flexibility, or

Information and Tips in Answering the QuestionWe are interested in understanding how your organization defines and views the challenges and seeks to address holistic solutions for your community. Please answer each of the lettered (A. – C.) questions.

Part A) Define how the challenge(s) you seek to solve impacts the community you serve. Define the impacted population and describe any demographic disparities in how your community experiences the challenge(s) (ex. greater impact to people of color, people in a specific zip code etc.). If relevant, describe how the geographic area where you and/or those you serve are located impacts the challenge. For example, if your organization is located in a more rural area, what specific implications does that have on your work?

Part B) Tell us, in narrative or through an uploaded Theory of Change or similar document, how your organization thinks about and delivers holistic solutions that address the whole person, family and/or community?

Part C) Tell us what you believe is needed to more effectively bring holistic solutions that serve the whole person, family and/or community.

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innovations will it require for you to more effectively work across impact areas?

B8. How are you collaborating with other organizations that have policy and advocacy capacity?

This question will not receive a score but will give us a better understanding of the policy and advocacy partnership landscape your organization is involved in. This information may help inform future policy and advocacy initiatives in the future.

B9. How are you strategically aligning your work with larger networks or institutions with your area of impact?

Describe how your work in connected to, aligned with, and/ or informed by larger networks or institutions with your area of impact? This can be formal partnerships or informal alignments.

C. Strategy Area Questions

C1. What specific steps will you take to accomplish the outcome(s) in this strategy?

Include a description of your solution’s design, approach and activities (i.e., a Theory of Change or similar document for the specific outcome area).

In this question, be sure to address any preferred approach criteria outlined in the RFP, as appropriate.

[1,000-word limit]

Information and Tips in Answering the QuestionFor each strategy you have chosen we are interested in understanding the solution and approach you use to address your stated challenge.

Please explain what approach your organization uses to address the challenge you identified in Question B7, why you selected that approach and why you believe it best addresses the challenge, how you will implement your approach. Specifically, a complete answer for the Early Learning and Childcare strategy may include the following elements. Describes the what, why and how of their approach

to address the challenge of the academic opportunity gap. Include points on how their approach was chosen. For example, it is an evidence-based curriculum designed for children who have experienced trauma and has been implemented with significant community input.

Describe how they have tailored their activities to complement the specific assets of the families and community they intend to serve.

Describe how the work aligns with and complements the work of Greenville County Schools.

Include other information that provides clarity or details to help understand the approach.

C2. Describe the results you have achieved over the last two years using the approach(es) you describe in Question C1. Please include relevant information, data or evidence. What methods, tools or processes have you used? How have your results and evidence informed your programs and/or practices? [1,000-word limit]

Information and Tips in Answering the QuestionWe are interested in understanding what results your organization has achieved related to the approach you detail in question C1.

First, describe results you have achieved over the past two years related to the approach you describe in

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Question C1. For this answer, you do not need to use the metrics we have identified in this strategy.

Explain how the approach you describe in Question C1 has impacted the community you seek to serve.

How has this information informed past practice or strategy development?

Describe the methods you use to define, understand, and measure success (e.g.; surveys. What methods, tools, or processes do you use?

Then, describe how you utilize your results for future facing work: Describe how you evaluated for and leveraged your past results (Note: they don’t have to be positive results) to improve your approach?

Describe how learning or evaluation results from work outside this strategy area informs your proposed work, if any.

C3. Quantify the impact if a program is in pace or describe the anticipated impact for newly established or experimental program or strategy.

Information and Tips in Answering the QuestionDescribe the impact of your program using your organization’s data points. If you are proposing a newly established or experimental initiative describe the anticipated outcome.

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D.2 Demographics by Strategy Area

Complete the demographic information for each selected strategy area you intend to apply for under this RFP. In the online application, you will see a blank demographic form for each strategy area for which you are applying for. Please enter the actual numbers of those served in your most recently completed year and estimated numbers for those you propose to serve for the grant year.

Unduplicated Count Most Recently Completed

Program Year

Proposed with grant award

(Oct 2020-Sept 2021)

Total Number of Unduplicated Individuals ServedTotal Number of Unduplicated Households ServedGender CIS Male CIS FemaleGender Identify not listed above (Transgender, Nonbinary) Gender Unknown (gender identity unknown by program staff)

TotalAge

0 to 4 years

5 to 10 years11 to 14 years15 to 17 years18 to 24 years25 to 54 years55 to 65 year65 + yearsAge unknown

TotalRace/Ethnicity Black / African AmericanAmerican IndianAsianNative Hawaiian / Pacific IslanderWhiteMultiracialOtherRace Unknown

TotalHispanic/Latino

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Not Hispanic/LatinoTotal

Income Under $25,000$25,001 - $45,000$45,001 - $65,000Over $65,000Income Unknown

TotalHow many veterans do you serve?How many people do you serve that identify as LGBTQ?How many people do you serve with a criminal background?How many immigrants or refugees do you serve?

Total*According to federal data collection practices each person should choose an ethnicity and a racial category. "Hispanic/Latino" is defined as people of Latin American descent, regardless of race. For example, a person of African descent from Colombia might choose "African American" as his or her race and "Hispanic/Latino" for his or her ethnicity.

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E. Outcomes and Indicators

Please complete the outcomes and indicators information for each strategy area you selected under this RFP.

Note: If work in a specific indicator is not planned or data for most recent program year is unavailable, please indicate 0. If 0 is noted, please provide an explanation/rationale in the narrative box below

Please refer to the RFP for more information on each strategy area’s specific outcomes and indicators.

All Outcomes

INDICATORSMost Recently Completed Program Year

Proposed with Grant Period Oct 2020 – September 2021)

1.1 Number of unduplicated individuals served

1.2 Number of unduplicated individuals or families connected to community services

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Education

Note: The online application tool will also guide applicants to describe how they plan to measure each indicator.

INDICATOR 1: Safe and Nurturing EnvironmentsMost Recently Completed Program Year


1.1 Number of programs with focus on trauma-informed care.

1.2 Number of programs with focus on resiliency or Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

1.3 Individuals or families receiving trauma informed services.

1.4 Number of individuals that have received trauma informed care training.

INDICATOR 2: Support NetworksMost Recently Completed Program Year


2.1 Number of new support networks established.

2.2 Individuals or families receiving resources as a result of support networks.

2.3 Total number of individuals that continue to access resources after 1 year.

2.4 Total number of individuals that continue to access services after one year.

INDICATOR 3: Early Learning and ChildcareMost Recently Completed Program Year


3.1 Children who demonstrate readiness for kindergarten (ages 3-5) or demonstrate age appropriate development (age 0-3).

3.2 Children who have an intervention strategy in place if they do not demonstrate readiness for kindergarten (ages 3-5) or demonstrate age appropriate development

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(0-3).3.3 Families demonstrate positive, responsive parenting

techniques that support children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.

3.4 Families connected to and access community services as needed.

INDICATOR 4: Out of School Time InterventionsMost Recently Completed Program Year


4.1 Number of children attending Out of School Time (OST) Programming.

4.2 Number of scholarships applied to OST programming.

4.3 Number of initiatives to increase parent engagement.

4.4 Number of outreach initiatives to provide OST programming to children experiencing poverty

INDICATOR 5: Academic SupportsMost Recently Completed Program Year


5.1 Youth who have access to academic supports.

5.2 Children who have an intervention plan in place.

5.3 Number of youth who have improved grades.

5.4 Number of youth who have improved test scores.

5.5 Number of youth who have shown increased literacy proficiency.

5.6 Number of youth on track to graduate on time.

INDICATOR 6: Post-Secondary Support SkillsMost Recently

Proposed with Grant

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Completed Program Year

Period Oct 2020 – September 2021)

6.1 Individuals that have completed high school or equivalent.

6.2 Individuals that have completed high school or equivalent and continue to post-secondary success programming (4-year institution, 2-year institution, and/or certification).

6.3 Number of individuals that have a post-secondary strategy in place and can identify career goals.

6.4 Number of young adults who completed college or career readiness while still in high school.

6.5 Number of young adults who continue to a two- or four-year institution, military, or career.

Funding:

How much funding does your organization request to achieve the selected outcomes? _______

Please note: This is simply to provide us more context for understanding the scope of your proposal. This does not guarantee grant amount and does not require you to allocate your grant toward this impact area. We are committed to providing general operating funding through this RFP and trust grantees to know best how to allocate grant funding across their organization or partnership.

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Financial Stability


All Financial Stability Indicators: Data ProjectMost Recently Completed Program Year

Proposed with Grant Award Oct 2020 – September 2021)

7.1 Number of individuals or families that spend less than 40% of income on housing.

7.2 Number of individuals or families with less than 40% debt to income ratio.

7.3 Number of individuals that earn a self-sufficient wage.

7.4 Number of individuals or families that have a bank account.

7.5 Number of individuals that have a credit score above 650.

INDICATOR 8: Workforce DevelopmentMost Recently Completed Program Year


8.1 Individuals enrolled in relevant degree, certification, or labor market training.

8.2 Individuals gain an industry-recognized credential.

8.3 Number of individuals that complete training.

8.4 Individuals obtain employment, retain employment for 6 months and 1 year.

8.5 Number of individuals that increased income.

8.6 Number of individuals obtaining self-sufficient wage.

INDICATOR 9: Gaining and Building AssetsMost Recently Completed Program Year


9.1 Individuals receive and complete financial coaching that helps them establish plan of action for future stability.

9.2 Individuals establish or build a financial cushion in the form of financial savings.

9.3 Individuals or families gain a hard asset.

9.4 Families are connected and have access to financial products and services.

9.5 Individuals or families decrease non-asset debt.

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INDICATOR 10: Safety Net SupportsMost Recently Completed Program Year


10.1 Number of financial products or services that promote savings and investment behavior available.

10.2 Innovative outreach solutions to individuals or families that would not otherwise have knowledge or access to services.

10.3 Individuals or families creating a plan of action that includes a safety net.

10.4 Individuals or families in short term program that leads to wage increase.

INDICATOR 11: Income SupportsMost Recently Completed Program Year


11.1 Individuals or families that have a continuum of care coaching plan in place.

11.2 Individuals advance in their role and/or increase their earnings.

11.3 Individuals or families connected to and access community services as needed.

11.4 Individuals or families increase short-and long-term savings opportunities.

Funding:



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Vibrant and Equitable Communities


INDICATOR 12: Vibrant and Equitable Communities- Basic Needs

Most Recently Completed Program Year


12.1 Individuals and families served.

12.2 Individuals and families that have experienced an increase of quality of life.

12.3 Number of individuals and families that report satisfaction with program.

12.4 What is organization doing to advocate on behalf of your clients.

Narrative

12.5 How do you work with other community partners to create holistic solutions and a continuum of care for your clients

12.6 What are common barriers that your clients experience to obtaining basic human needs that ensure safety, survival, and thriving?

INDICATOR 13: Vibrant and Equitable Communities- Coalitions and Intermediaries

Most Recently Completed Program Year


13.1 Organizations and community stakeholders involved.

13.2 Establishment of a common agenda and measurable indicators among stakeholders.

13.3 Coordination of stakeholders’ efforts to ensure they are mutually-reinforcing to maximize the end result.

13.4 Mobilization of stakeholders to collectively impact an ecosystem, specifically in the areas of policy and advocacy.

Narrative

13.5 How do you work with other community partners to create holistic solutions for your stakeholders and the broader community?

Funding:



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F. Financial Review and Required Documents

Financial information for all applicants will be reviewed by UWGC to determine your organization’s fiscal stability, capacity and sustainability. If applying with a fiscal sponsor, the sponsor should submit the following documentation.

Organizations must provide the following documents: Most recently audited financials (if not available, explain reason and provide most recent 2 years of Statement of Activities and Balance Sheets)Most recently filed IRS Form 990 501c3 Determination Letter IRS Form W9List of Current Board of Directors with affiliations

G. Documents to Upload

Required Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement Most recently audited financials (if not available, explain reason and provide most recent 2

years of Statement of Activities and Balance Sheets) Most recently filed IRS Form 990 501c3 Determination Letter IRS Form W9 South Carolina Secretary of State Incorporation Current Board of Directors with affiliations Fiscal Sponsorship MOU (if applicable)

Optional Theory of Change or similar document Other documents related to this RFP

H. Service Delivery Locations

Please list the addresses where your proposed program will be delivered. Location Name AddressCity StateCounty ZIP Code

Definitions

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Demographics:

CIS Male: A person who was born male and whose gender identity is male.

CIS Female: A person who was born female and whose gender identity is female.

Transgender: Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex.

Nonbinary: Denoting or relating to a gender or sexual identity that is not defined in terms of traditional binary oppositions such as male and female

RFP Definitions:

Data Sharing Project: The Data Sharing Project is an initiative of UWGC. It looks at client-level data to get a more complete look at how individuals move from poverty to prosperity. All applicants under the Financial Stability outcome must participate in the Data Sharing Project, including submitted monthly reports with Personally Identifiable Information or Personally Protected Information in the described indicator section.

Fiscal Sponsor: The intent of fiscal sponsorship is to provide a 501(c)(3) charitable tax-exempt status for the benefit of incorporated and unincorporated entities operating for charitable purposes. All programs and related activities must have alignment with UWGC’s mission.

Immigrant: A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.

Impact Areas: There are three Impact Areas under this RFP: Education (Pages 10-15), Financial Stability (Pages 16-21), and Vibrant and Equitable Communities (Pages 22-24). These Impact Areas were designed based off of comprehensive research, studies, and community conversations.

Indicator: Indicators are used to gauge quantitative impact of a program or initiative. Indicators in this RFP will be used both in submitting the application and annual reporting.

Refugee: A person who has been forced to leave their country to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster.

Request for Proposal (RFP): Formerly the Notice of Funding Opportunity, this RFP is a funding announcement posted by UWGC in order to solicit bids for community impact work in Greenville County, South Carolina.

Self-Sufficiency Standard: The Self-Sufficiency Standard defines the amount of income necessary to meet basic needs (including taxes) without public subsidies (e.g., public housing, food stamps, Medicaid or child care) and without private/informal

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assistance (e.g., free babysitting by a relative or friend, food provided by churches or local food banks, or shared housing). The family types for which a Standard is calculated range from one adult with no children, to one adult with one infant, one adult with one preschooler, and so forth, up to two-adult families with three teenagers.

More information regarding the South Carolina Self-Sufficiency Standard can be found on the United Way Association of South Carolina website: https://www.uwasc.org/scstandard

Strategic Investment Strategies: Strategic Investment Strategies are those Impact Areas in which UWGC will be focusing funding in this RFP.

Strategy Area: Strategies areas are the specific focuses under each Impact Area. Each Strategy Area has a specific set of indicators that will be reported on during this application process as well as during an annual report.

Unduplicated Individuals: Unduplicated in this RFP means only counting an individual or family once, regardless of how many times that individual or family utilizes services, attends a class, or completes program.

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https://www.uwasc.org/scstandard